Starfield Nominated For Steam’s Most Innovative Titles Despite Mixed Rating

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Abdullah Waseem

At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered. 

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Starfield was supposed to be the Microsoft release to counter Sony’s mammoth exclusives. The marketing for the release was massive, and the potential seemed immense. However, to severe disappointment from fans, the RPG turned out quite underwhelming.

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t nominated for the Game of the Year award, but the Steam Awards have somehow managed to nominate Starfield for the ‘Most Innovative Gameplay’ award in 2023.

Why it matters: Many have considered Bethesda’s game design outdated after its latest release. This RPG has highlighted the many flaws in the studio’s approach when compared to more modern releases.

Bethesda could have gone places with Starfield, but it kept the gameplay rather generic.

The scope is undoubtedly huge, but seamless space travel does not exist in a game whose selling point is exploration. Despite Steam’s nomination, the RPG has mixed reviews on the platform.

There is also not much innovation in the gameplay. The shooting, melee combat, and RPG mechanics are nothing new. Many have dubbed it ‘Skyrim in Space,’ highlighting that Bethesda still relies on decade-old fundamentals.

Despite these problems, Starfield is not without its plus points. The game features deep ship-building mechanics, allowing a high level of customization rarely seen in other games.

Other strengths include the space battles, but these parts are often held back by the overall mediocrity surrounding them.

Anyhow, Steam has picked the latest Bethesda release for this honor. Competing with Starfield are games like Remnant 2.

This title was critically acclaimed and praised for delivering a different take on Souls-like mechanics and procedural generation, selling 1 million units within a week to eclipse its predecessor.

Starfield has also won a major award in the past. Winning the Xbox Game of the Year at Golden Joystick, this RPG is now in the race for another massive title, but it remains to be seen if it can pull off another victory.

Abdullah Waseem

News Reporter

Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.